Zift Advisory
Yarn is a chat story app presented in the form of text conversations between fictional characters. Yarn stories are rated for users ages 17 years of age or older due to the adult nature of many of the storylines. The Yarn app is free to download but does feature in-app purchases and advertisements. This app is safe for older teens.
What is Yarn - Chat & Text Stories?
Yarn is a chat story app presented in the form of text conversations between fictional characters.
Yarn stories are rated for users ages 17 years of age or older due to the adult nature of many of the storylines. While the Yarn app is free to download, users taking advantage of subscriptions and in-app purchases will have a more enhanced game experience. The Yarn app features in-app advertisements.
With new stories added weekly, Yarn subscribers need not worry about running out of new love stories, mysteries, and thrillers to read, but it’s important to note that users are typically locked into a story and genre while they use the app (a common user complaint).
Common user complaints, however, come from those users attempting to play the app without a subscription.
According to users, many of the videos and pictures within conversations lend themselves to the story or reveal critical elements, thus leaving gaping holes for those trying to follow along without a subscription plan.
Instead of downloading the Yarn app, users may find digital downloads from their local library less expensive and less frustrating.
Is Yarn - Chat & Text Stories safe for my kids?
Parents should be aware that Yarn - Chat Stories is free to use, but it’s a paywall app, meaning users will only be able to get so far or see so much before access is limited, unless they pay.
While the app may be free to download, users must choose a subscription plan for full access to chat stories. For example, Yarn stories are told in a text message or chat form, and characters in the stories will often send an image or a video within the chat.
For players/readers to access those additional features, they must have a subscription. Subscription rates are as follows: $4.99 per week, $19.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
Parents should be aware that Yarn, like most paywall apps, can be incredibly frustrating for users attempting to play or read without a subscription.
In addition to blurring pictures and locking videos, players must also wait for additional story material to be unlocked, to the tune of 30 minutes.
Yarn does, however, dangle a carrot in the way of video ads, allowing users to view ads to proceed with their story. This is not an unlimited option and eventually those users will need to pay to continue.
In essence, the Yarn app offers itself for free to get readers to download the app and then makes the app virtually impossible to enjoy without paying.
Content is another issue parents should be aware of with the Yarn app and parents should be mindful that storylines may contain mature content, profanity, sexual content, horror themes as well as references to alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
Some parents may be concerned that the entire premise of Yarn revolves around voyeurism, in that each story is comprised of a text chat conversation between characters, in which readers are “snooping.”
In essence, the app sells itself as bite-sized reading, but it’s feeding into people’s love for gossip, snooping, drama and conflict, not necessarily positive things.
This app is safe for older teens.
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